Free tool

Restaurant food cost calculator

Cost a plate ingredient by ingredient, and see the food cost percentage and the menu price that hits your target. It runs in your browser and nothing is saved or sent.

1. What goes on the plate

IngredientPack price ($)Pack sizeUsed on plate
Plate cost
$0.00
Food cost %
0%
Gross profit / plate
$0.00
Price for your target
$0.00

Pack size and used amounts must be in the same unit (grams, ounces, each). Example rows are placeholders: replace them with your own invoice prices.

What the numbers mean

Food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price × 100
Price for a target = plate cost ÷ target food cost %

The calculator prices one plate. That is theoretical food cost: what the plate should cost if every portion is exact and nothing is wasted. Your real food cost for the month, from inventory and purchases, is nearly always higher, and the gap is waste, over-portioning, theft and unrecorded comps. How to calculate your actual monthly food cost →

What is the 30/30/30/10 rule for restaurants?

A rule of thumb for splitting sales: about 30% on food, 30% on labor, 30% on rent and other overhead, leaving about 10% as profit.

It is a planning shortcut, not a law. Concepts differ, and a steakhouse and a pizzeria will not land on the same split. Use it to spot which line is out of shape, then measure your own.

Stop costing plates by hand

Ingredient prices move with every invoice, so a plate you costed in spring is wrong by summer. Mise keeps food cost by item live against your POS and vendor invoices, done for you.

See how Mise tracks it →